Balance: Benedict Bridgerton's Tale

Chapter 21: Return

The moment was too absurd for words.

She didn't understand any of this at all. He did not seem to be ill at all. In fact, he appeared to be healthier than ever.

"I don't understand" she finally said.

 "Genevieve wrote to me that you were seriously ill".

"She didn't. I did" said a man which she assumed was the oldest of the family, Benedict had talked about him and described him once, when she had once asked how the rest of his siblings looked like.

"You? Why?" he asked, furiously blinking in confusion.

"Because I wanted to know if she would come and she did, as we can all see."

"That just doesn't make any sense.. but if I understand correctly you pretended to be Genevieve and wrote to Alina apologising that I was seriously ill... well that's bloody awful, Anthony!" Benedict reprimanded.

Anthony had arranged everything down to the tickets, hotel accommodation, everything and calculated in advance roughly when she would arrive. Luck would have it that Benedict had an extension built into his house, an extra room to work on his art. Other overdue maintenance also needed to be done, the whole house repainted and as a result Benedict had chosen to stay in his parents' house. Every Sunday all the Bridgerton's gathered for a communal breakfast, sans Francesca who was staying in Scotland and at that very moment Alina had entered, earlier than he had expected he had to admit but she had arrived and that was all he had to know.

An awkward silence could be experienced in the room.

"Colin was in it too" Antony exclaimed, a tad weakly for his usual habit.

"Hey, it was your idea! Not mine, don't make me out to be the bad guy", Colin countered.

"So, you're not... sick? Or dying?" asked Alina hesitantly now feeling fiery red with embarrassment.

"No, I am perfectly healthy, Alina", Benedict answered with in his eyes a compassionate gaze to be seen.

It had been a ruse and she had fallen into it with her eyes open, she now realised.

"I.. I shouldn't have come, I am sorry for intruding" she said as her eyes swept over the table of people and turned around, wanting to get out of there as quickly as possible.

"One of you better tell me what is happening or so help me, God, I'll slap you on the spot", she heard a female voice exclaim as Alina walked away.

"Eloise Bridgerton!" reprimanded Violet.

"It's Eloise Crane, now, mother" said Eloise with what seemed, much pleasure and a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

Arriving at the hall, he saw that she was talking to the butler and probably waiting with her son. She wanted to leave, that was obvious, he hurriedly walked downstairs and towards her.

"Can we talk? Please? Just for a moment, I'll send you on your way if you want to still leave but just... you must be exhausted after such a long journey. Let's just sit somewhere and talk".

"I shouldn't be here".

"But you are now", he said in a voice that broke, "you are now, so while you're here, let's talk okay?".

She nodded, to his reassurance, after what he assumed was a moment of hesitation and he led her to the drawing room. She stepped in and saw a cozy-looking room, tastefully decorated while exuding something genial.

"Have a seat and he pointed to a pastel pink sofa.

He sat down opposite from her... and looked at her, the poor soul looked mortified.